6 Ways Frozen Spinach Is Like the Little Black Dress of Food

For me, frozen spinach is like the little black dress that goes with everything. It makes my scrambled eggs even heartier, brings a little green to my pastas dishes and adds a veggie punch to my main dishes in no time.

Unless I plan to eat it raw in a salad, I never buy the fresh stuff because, if you ask me, frozen spinach is the perfect vegetable. There, I said it. It’s always on hand, it works in nearly any dish and it doesn’t shrink into nothing like the fresh stuff does when it’s cooked. Instead of going for the brick, I can’t resist adding one of the plastic, resealable bags of chopped frozen spinach to my shopping cart whenever I make a trip to the supermarket. Thanks to frozen spinach’s versatility and convenience, it is definitely a supermarket staple you need to reconsider.

Spinach can add a dose of green to anything it touches, and it’s versatile enough for breakfast, lunch or dinner. No matter the hour, get your spinach fix with a homemade frittata, a classic eggy dish that can be devoured whenever. Though Trisha Yearwood’s Spinach Frittata for Food Network Magazine calls for the fresh stuff, thawed frozen spinach will do just fine.

Sure, frozen spinach isn’t as sophisticated as foie gras or truffled Brie, but you can definitely punch it up to be worthy of any occasion. Giada De Laurentiis combines thawed frozen spinach with Parmesan, fontina and a little cream for a delectable filling for her Cheese and Spinach Puff Pastry Pockets (pictured above).

3: It can disappear, if you want it to.

Just like you can play a black dress down with accessories, you can load up a meal with frozen spinach and often never even know it’s there, thanks to its mild flavor and soft texture. That said, think of Food Network Kitchen’s red-sauced Cheesy Spinach Baked Penne as a great way to hide vegetables from your kids.

4: You don’t have to keep buying it.

Once you have the perfect black dress in your arsenal, you are good to go. In the same way, frozen spinach sticks around because, unlike fresh spinach, frozen spinach doesn’t shrink up once it cooks. You buy what you get, meaning dishes like Spinach-and-Mushroom-Stuffed Chicken Breasts don’t need much to hit the table. We can’t guarantee your favorite little black dress won’t shrink in the wash, though (and we really feel for you if it does).

5: It always has your back.

Having an impromptu gathering at home, but didn’t get a chance to run to the store? With frozen spinach and another frozen favorite, artichoke hearts, on your side, you can whip up appetizers like Gorgonzola Spinach Artichoke Dip at a moment’s notice.

6: It never goes out of style.

Just like a quality little black dress never goes out of style, frozen spinach won’t go bad — at least for a while. That means you can have a veggie-laden meal like Spinach Tortellini Soup whenever the time calls, even if you didn’t have a chance to run to the store.